Actuating handle



Get. 24, 1933. s. o. WILMS ACTUATING HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 62 Q 0 1 [iv/5V Z7. M/WJL Original Filed July 10, 1925 et. 24, 1933. Q Q WILMS 1,931,915

ACTUATING HANDLE Original Filed July 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @GMJMM v iw/ZW i /////77i;

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 F ICE 1,931,915 7 ACTUATiNG silvers Gustav 0. Wilms, Milwaukee, Wis; assignor by mesne assignments, to Allen-Bradley Company,

Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Original assassins July 10', 1925, Serial no, 42,748. Divided andthis application December 7 28, 1929. Serial No: 417,133

9 Claims.v

relates to certain new and useful improvements in handle devices and refersmore particularly to actuating handles or levers of electrio motor starting switches of the type illustrated 'in my oopending application Serial No. 42,748

filed July 10, 1925 of this application is a division,.and wherein it is desired to first connect the motor with the line with a maximum resistance interposed in circuit therewith and then gradually decrease the resistance to increase the motor speed. t I I With the above in mind, this invention contemp fi s ii's One of its objectslthe provision of an improved and simplified means interposed between the starting lever or handleper se and the rh'e'ostat member which it actuates and whereby too rapid operation is prevented.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision oi an-irnproved manner of connecting go the starting lever 01' handle with the member which nemesis" whereby a slip occurs between the handle and said member and whereby a time interval elapses before the handle becomes directly conneeted with the member it controls.

g gnu a further object sinus invention resides-in the provision or a novel handle construction having a retarding mediuni contained within a portio t; ereof-to. yieldably restrain operation oi the handle and messy prevent too sudden movement thereof. 7

' With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds,my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly de fined bytheappended claims, it being understood that such changes the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention maybe made as come; within thesoope of the claims.

hrtheaccompanying drawings", I have illusembodiment of my invention constructed accordin"g to"the'-bes't modesl have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof,

andin'which'f Fi'gur'el is aside view of a switch structure pro-- vided with the improved handle of this invention, portions of the switch structure being broken awayto illustrate'details of construction;

Figure 2 is a iragmentaryfview taken transvrsei thiougn Figure 1 on the plane'of the line 2 3 i ure 3 isia: vieyv partly in elevation andpartly in section taken through Figure 2 on the plane of trated several complete examples of the physical strap member 16 carried at one end of the com the line 3-3, and illustrating the retarding means within the handle; i 4

Figure 4. is a view taken through the handle on the plane of the line 4=4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a slightly modified form of my invention; 7

Figure 6 is a view similar .to Figure 2 of form of my invention; and t Figure 7 is a side elevational View of the structure shown in Figure 6, and having portions there of broken awayand in section.

Referring now more particulary to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 represents an enclosing housing pref.- era'bly of sheet metal construction Within which a supporting frame 6 of. angle iron construction is mounted. A removable cover or door '7 closes the front of the housing and permits access to the interior thereof.

Mounted within the housing from transverse members 8 and 9 supported by the frame member 6 are a plurality of compression resistor units 10 of conventional construction. The lower ends of the resistor units are electrically connected another with leads 11, but one being shown, and the up per ends of the units are adapted to be electrically connected with leads 12 upon downward mo'vement of their compression plungers; not shown. The leads 12, of which only one is illustrated, are connected with the plungers of the various resistor units and the plu'n'gers are normally yieldably maintained out of electrical engagement with the uppermost ends of the resistor units by springs 13, the plungersbeing movable downwardi ly against the action of the springs 13 by a; corn pression head 14 of conventional construction.

The initial downward movement of theplungers by the compression head electrically connects the leads 12 with-their respective resistor units and thus electrically connectsthe motor (not shown) to which the conductors 11 lead, wi'ththe line, through the resistance units 10.

Downward movement of the compressionhead'l pression head and having its closed end apertured to receive a rod 17, the upper end of which has a fixed washer 18 between which and the closed end of the strap a compression spring 19 is mounted. Downward movement of the rod 17 is imparted to the compression head through the spring 19 to assure an even and gradual operation of the compression head.

The lower end of the rod 17 is pivotally connected with a pair of links 20 whose lower ends are pivotally connected, as at 21, with an arm 22 extended from a sleeve 23 loosely j-ournaled on a shaft 24. The link members 20 are also connected with a lever 25, as at 26, whose fixed end is pivotally connected with the frame 6 by a bolt 27. The medial portion of the lever 25 has one end of a tension spring 28 connected with it, the other end of which is supported by a portion of the transverse member 8 to at all times yieldably maintain the lever 25 and its associated mechanism in inoperative position independent of the compression head.

The shaft 24 extends across the vertical frame members 6 at an intermediate point and is mounted at one end in a bracket member 29 fixed to the adjacent frame member 6 and at its other end by being passed through a plate member 30 rigidly supported by the other frame member 6, the shaft being held against rotation by a pin 31 passing through it and through the bracket 29.

The actuating handle 15 is freely rotatable on the end of the shaft projected beyond the plate member 30 with the restrictions placed thereon by a dashpot mechanism to be later described, and has a crank arm 32 which is bolted or other wise connected, as at 33, with a crank arm 34 carried by the sleeve 23 so that rotation of the operating handle in a clockwise direction with reference to Figure 1 produces a downward pull on the rod 1'7 to actuate the compression head, as will be readily apparent.

The dashpot mechanism referred 'to which retards the action of the handle 15 to prevent too rapid decrease in resistance of the rheostat with which the handle is connected is located Within the handle structure and as best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 cooperates with a cam 35 secured to the end of the shaft 24 within a chamber 36 formed in the adjacent portion of the handle.

The chamber 36 is an enlargement of a transverse bore 37 in the handle member and in which the shaft 24 is rotatably mounted, a suitable packing 38 sealing the bore 3? around the shaft 24, as best illustrated in Figure 4. The chamber 36 also divides a transverse cylinder 39 formed in the inner end of the handle with its axis at right angles to the axis of the shaft 24, into two sections 40 and 41.

The section 40 of the cylinder is closed by an end wall 42 which is preferably integral with the handle body and the outer end of the section 41 is closed by a removable plug 43 to permit the insertion of a plunger or piston 44 which in its position of operation is mounted within the cylinder section 40.

The plunger 44 has a valve passage 45 therethrough provided with a ball check valve 46 which permits ready flow of fluid which fills the entire cylinder and chamber 36, in one direction but not in the other. The inner end of the piston 44 is yieldably urged to engagement with the cam 35 by an expansive spring 47 confined between the opposite face of the piston and the end wall 42.

A by-pass or port 48 connects the outer end portion of the cylinder section 40 with the chamber 36 inwardly of the piston to permit the restricted flow of fluid therethrough. The area of the bypass is adjustable by a needle valve 49 threaded into the by-pass at its point of connection with the cylinder section 40 through an opening 50, and which is preferably enclosed by a removable cap 51.

The operation of the device is briefly as follows: movement of the operating handle 15 in a clockwise direction with reference to Figure 3 through the distance A brings the plungers of the resistor tubes 10 into engagemeint with their uppermost discs to close the circuit through the resistor elements, and as a result of which the motor, not shown, included in the circuit receives its initial current for starting. Continued movement of the operating handle in a clockwise direction through the arc E, Figure 3, causes the piston 44 to be moved by the cam which is stationary, being fixed to the shaft 24, against the action of the spring 47 to force the oil in back of the piston through the restricted by-pass 48, the ball check valve 46 seating itself upon the initial movement of the piston.

Further action of the handle is then automatically retarded so that too rapid application of pressure to the resistor elements after the initial closing of the circuit and the consequent destructive overcrowding of the motor is prevented.

In Figure 5 a slightly modified form of my invention is illustrated in which the cam is of such shape that after the handle 15 has passed the point C the piston 44 tracks on or engages the constant portion 52 of the cam and no further resistance to the continued movement of the handle is afforded after a desired time interval has elapsed to permit the motor to come to speed.

In Figures 6 and 7 another modification of this invention is illustrated and wherein the results accomplished by the structure shown in Figure 5 are obtained. In this construction the shaft 24 is freely rotatable and the sleeve 23 is pinned or otherwise fixed to the shaft, as at 53, to be rotatable therewith. The internal construction of the handle and the dash pot is identical 120 with that illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, with the exception that the outer end of the piston has a stop or projection 54 thereon which abuts the closed wall 42 after a predetermined movement so that the shaft 24 in effect becomes. 125 rigid with the handle during movement thereof after a predetermined movement of the handle in a clockwise direction.

The operation of this form of my invention is as follows: upon movement of the operating handle in a clockwise direction the shaft 24 is rotated by reason of the frictional contact between the cam and the piston, sufiiciently to engage the plungers of the resistor elements with their uppermost discs to close the circuits, as the only 5 restriction offered to such movement is the friction of the parts.

After the circuits have been closed in this manner, continued movement of the handle in a clockwise direction permits a slip between the handle and shaft 24 inasmuch as the cam moves the piston into the cylinder section 40, this slip being in proportion to the increased pressure applied the resistor elements.

After the motor has reached a speed where it is no longer dangerous or injurious to permit the direct application of pressure to the resistor elements to decrease the resistance imposed in the motor circuit, the handle 15 becomes in effect fixed to the shaft 24 throughout all fur- 15ovv ther clockwise rotation thereof as the projec tion 54 of the piston abuts the wall 42 prior to the engagement of the cam peak 55 with the piston.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains that I provide a novel and improved actuating handle which is particularly adapted for use with electric motor starting switches and which lends itself readily to any combination wherein a retarding action is desired.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A switch operating lever, comprising a handle portion and an attaching portion opposite the handle portion, means for mounting the lever at the attaching portion, and a dash pot mechanism located within the attaching portion of the operating lever and operable to yieldably resist movement of the lever on itsmounting means after a predetermined initial movement.

2. In a device of the character described, a member to be actuated, a non-rotatable shaft, an

operating member rotatable on the shaft, and

connected with the member to be actuated and a connection between said operating member and the non-rotatable shaft for yieldably resisting the actuation of said operating member in one direction.

3. In a device of the. character described, a

mounted on the shaft, dash pot means located within said actuating member, and a cam on the fixed shaft for operating the dashpot means upon rotation of the actuating member about the fixed shaft so that the dashpot means resists rotation of the actuating member about the shaft.

5. In a device of the character described, a shaft, an actuating member mounted on the shaft, said actuating member having a bore concentric with said shaft and a cylinder, the axis of which is radially disposed with respect to said bore and communicates therewith, a cam fixed to the shaft and located within the actuating member bore, and a piston operable in said cylinder and yieldably resisting relative movement between the actuating member and said cam.

v6. In a device of the character described, a shaft, an actuating member mounted on the shaft, said actuating member having a bore concentric with said shaft and a cylinder, the axis of which is radially disposed with respect to said bore and communicates therewith, a cam fixed to the shaft and located within the actuating member bore, a piston operable in said cylinder and yieldably resisting relative movement between the actuating member and said cam, a fluid filling the bore and cylinder, and a restricted by-pass connecting the outer end of the cylinder with said bore whereby movement of the piston in the cylinder is permitted at a predetermined speed.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a fixed shaft, an actuating member swingingly mounted on the fixed shaft, and means incorporated in the actuating member and cooperating r with the shaft to yieldably resist movement of the actuating member after an unopposed initial movement through a predetermined degree.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with mechanism to be operated, of an actuating handle having a predetermined degree of travel and directly connected with the mechanism to be operated, and means independent of the mechanism for retarding movement of the actuating handle throughout part of its travel, said means comprising a stationary cam within the handle and about which the handle moves, and a dash pot within the handle and cooperating with the cam as the handle is moved about the cam.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with mechanism to be operated, of an operating member for the mechanism, an actuating handle for imparting movement to the operating member, a cam movable with the operating 5 member and received within the actuating handle, means mounted within the actuating handle and engaging the cam to impart movement of the actuating handle to the cam and the operating member connected therewith, said means yielding to permit a degree of slippage between the 1 actuating handle and the cam whereby the actuating handle moves at a greater rate of speed than the operating member, and means for directly connecting the actuating handle with the operating member after a predetermined degree of movement of the actuating handle.

GUSTAVO. WILMS. 

